China Internet: Quick Thoughts on Latest Regulation Updates on Advertising & Food Delivery

Research evidence excerpt

China Internet: Quick Thoughts on Latest Regulation Updates on Advertising & Food Delivery

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16 Jun 2026 10:45:20 ET │ 9 pages

China Internet

Quick Thoughts on Latest Regulation Updates on Advertising & Food

Delivery

CITI’S TAKE

We view the comments of SAMR officials reflected the latest rectification

of internet companies. For online advertising, the SAMR is tightening

online ad format, with near-term focus on livestream ads, AI-generated

ads, pop-ups, matrix-style campaigns, and stronger platform Alicia Yap, CFAAC

accountability. For online food delivery, regulators tighten online food- +852-2501-2773

delivery rules, targeting “ghost kitchens” and raising platform/merchant alicia.yap@citi.com

accountability. While most of these regulations are not new, and could be Vicky Wei, CFA

considered as routine regulatory action to strengthen the internet vicky.wei@citi.com

platform ecosystem and for the government to protect consumers, any

Nelson Cheung additional regulation comment does not help investor sentiment and

nelson.cheung@citi.com

likely would lead to more concerns on revs and profitability trends for

internet companies in the coming quarters which would further dampen

investors’ confidence in the sector.

Regulations on illegal online ad activities – China’s State Administration for Market

Regulation (SAMR) is intensifying oversight of the online advertising ecosystem amid

rapid industry growth and increasingly complex, data-driven and technology-

enabled advertising practices. According to SAMR spokesperson Wang Qiuping

(China News, 16 Jun, link), while traditional issues such as low-quality creative

content and excessive hype persist, new risks are emerging, including the misuse of

artificial intelligence and an excessive focus on traffic-generation ads.